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Iran: Headscarves as civil disobedience
By law in Iran, women are required to wear the hijab - a covering of the head that is intended to promote modesty. But the dress requirements are not popular with everyone, and some women choose to bend or break the rules to display their opposition to the government.
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Iran: many different styles of hijab
Photo: Arash Ashoorinia at Flickr.com
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There are as many different styles of hijab as there are Iranian women. Some opt for the long, black chador. While others go for stylish colours and designs. You can tell a lot about a woman by how she's dressed, according to Farnaz Seifi, an Iranian human rights activist and blogger. Women who wear red or brightly coloured scarves tend to oppose the Iranian regime, she says.
Feeling more secure
Of course, there are many women in Iran who appreciate the hijab. One woman is Mehrnoosh, who told our correspondent:
"I always wear a black chador. It's my personal decision and preference to wear black chador. Considering the current social situation of Iran, it's better to have a kind of tighter hijab than what it said in Islam. I feel more secure by wearing chador in society."
Other women, like Giti, don't like the hijab:
"I live in Iran, so I am obliged to wear headscarf. But I don't like to wear any kind of scarf. I would prefer to go out with a simple pair of trousers, T shirt and comfortable sneakers."
Unwanted attention
Going out in Iran, though, with an ‘inappropriate' headscarf could mean unwanted attention from men, barred access to government buildings, and even harassment from the so-called fashion police. Sometimes, these altercations turn ugly, as in this video posted to the website Youtube:
A real social protest
Women who deny the accepted forms of hijab are engaging in serious civil disobedience, according to Fataneh Farahani of the department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies at Stockholm University:
"When it comes to a social movement, I think it comes to how people show their resistance in daily practices. And that's what women have done through the last 30 years. And this has been combined with the other things Iranian women have done - just for example, 60 percent of Iranian university students are female now. The government wanted to put women back to their homes, and now women have tried to push the boundaries on a daily basis."
For women engaging in civil disobedience through their dress, the scarf and the classroom may be just the beginning of social protest.
Tags:
civil disobedience,
fashion,
hijab,
human rights,
Iran,
Islam,
Muslims
Elisa ,
28-11-2008
- Iran
Although the veil is only obiligated for women, Iranian men too get prescriptions which many young men don't like. The 'moral' police will criticise men with too short sleeves or to tight T shirts, and students with haircauts which are considered to track attention too much are forced to wash their hair at the universitygate of some universities this year... evenmore, men are not allowed to wear short trousers... life is hard for everyone ;-)
Dr M A Obaydullah,
26-11-2008
- Bangladesh
Who says men do not wear scarves/hijab? Visit a country where Muslims or Sikhs live, and you will find what you cannot imagine now, if you haven't done as yet.
Megan,
27-10-2008
- USC
Carlos, the reason men do not wear scarves is delineated in the religious passages. Women are to wear the scarf as a sign of submission to the husband as head of the household. However, the government has made it illegal for any woman, regardless of foreign residency or religious belief, to not wear the headscarf.
You wont find a man wearing a scarf, it's not in the religious passages of the Old Testament, the Bible, or the Qoran.
Dave McGuire - TSWI,
20-10-2008
- The Netherlands
Robert, thanks for listening online! Carlos, I too wonder if any men in Iran have taken that step - it seems like a logical form of dissent. Listen to Ms Farahani's interview - Jonathan asks her 'what about the men?' and her answer about good hijab and bad hijab is pretty interesting.
Robert Botik,
20-10-2008
- U.S.A.
Good Morning! I have been listening for many years. Now, enjoying the wonderful full broadband quality of your streaming audio. From the hills west of Austin, have a great day ... Bob
Carlos Borjal,
17-10-2008
- USA
If the women of Iran are obliged to wear scraves in public, why can't their men do the same? Let's see how many of these men will resist the idea. Wouldn't that be fair?
